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U.S. Wins Forfeiture of 14 Smuggled Egyptian Artifacts, Including $6 Million Funerary Statue

A Maryland judge entered a default judgment following an investigation that traced mislabeled parcels through U.S. airports.

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Overview

  • The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a default judgment on September 29 completing civil forfeiture of the items.
  • The cache includes amulets, stone figurines, a vase, and an Old Kingdom limestone funerary statue appraised at about $6 million and likely linked to Saqqara or Giza.
  • CBP intercepted the artifacts in parcels transiting Anchorage, Cincinnati, and New York between August 2020 and April 2021.
  • Shipping documents falsely described the contents as home décor or garden ornaments, with at least one shipment bound for a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland.
  • Historians and appraisers authenticated the pieces, and DOJ, HSI, and CBP highlighted civil asset forfeiture and interagency coordination, noting that potential repatriation was not announced.